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Preview & GDT – Jets vs Ducks

The Winnipeg Jets (22-23-4) are coming off a 6-3 win against the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday night, followed by a 5-3 win against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday afternoon. The two wins are certainly welcome with the Jets scoring 11 goals in the span of 120 minutes of ice time, including a few goals on the power play. Tough to lose when your team turns on the offensive tap. The newly placed #1 goalie plug in Ondrej Pavelec was a shaky .909 sv. % on 33 shots in his first start of the season against the Coyotes, followed by a .919 sv % on 37 shots against the Blues. His average is now a .914 sv % average over his two games. This, along with poor disciplined play is a plague for the team. For example, the second period of the Blues game is troublesome, as the Jets gave up 3 penalties resulting in Pavelec having to make 25 saves in the second frame alone, and securing a Jets record for most save made in a period. But we didn’t hear about the penalties, all we heard about was Pavs’ saving the Jets. With all the hoopla coming from the “save of the year” from Pavs during the Coyotes game, followed by the record setting performance set during the second period of the Blues tilt, the Jets are pushing the excess button when it comes to the promotion of “Pavelectricity”. Are the Jets reporting alternate facts when it comes to their confidence in Pavelec? Can the Jets make it 3 wins in a row with a full team effort, or will the spin doctoring continue?

The Ducks (26-14-9) mightily struggled last night as they are coming off a 5-3 loss against the Minnesota Wild. The Ducks let the Wild score 3 unanswered goals in a span of 1:59 during the third period and handed the Wild the win. Ouch! Now, not to worry Ducks fans, your team just had a hiccup. They’re still atop the Pacific Division standings and sit 3rd in the Western Conference.

3 Questions:

  1. Does 2 games make a season?

Let’s face it folks. 2 games from Pavelec does not a season make. But it’s been suggested by the media that Pavs is playing for a contract and is likely to be resigned at the end of the season. Lets not count the dollar bills on the contract just yet, there’s lots of hockey left to be played. Remember, this fickle bunch casted Pavs to the AHL at the beginning of the season hoping that Hellbuyck and Hutchinson could carry the load.

2. What’s in store? As up and down the team has been this season, there is still a hope that the team will make the playoffs…it’s just that they have to play close to a 70% winning percentage in the remaining games to do it. Playoffs? You want to talk about Playoffs?!?

3. What’s in store II? Pavs isn’t the only Jets personnel looking for a contract, as head coach Paul Maurice is looking for one too. However, the local media have suggested that PoMo is going nowhere, that TNSE have full faith in him, and that a contract extension is imminent. If the team fails to make the playoffs, what is it that makes TNSE so loyal to Maurice?

Player to watch – Winnipeg Jets: Okay, I didn’t want to make this article look like it’s all about Pavs, as the Winnipeg Jets are doing a good job in that alone. Nope, let’s turn our attention to Brandon Tanev. Recently recalled due to Drew Stafford being day to day with a LBI, Tanev is likely to come out of the gate with a purpose as I feel he might be the right guy to displace any antics Corey Perry has up his sleeve.

Player to watch – Anaheim Ducks: Yep, you guessed it, Corey Perry. The pest from the west has 9 goals and 25 assists over 49 games this season, and can get under the skin of any opponent.

What: Winnipeg Jets vs Anaheim Ducks

When: Monday, January 23rd @ 7:00 pm CST

Where: MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba

How: TSN3, TSN 1290 AM, KCOP 13, 830 KLAA

Projected Lineups:

Winnipeg Jets:

Anaheim Ducks:

Prediction: The Jets will make it 3 wins in a row as they defeat the Ducks 3-2. Trouba, Sheifele and Ehlers with the markers.

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